Entering the real world as soon to be former stay at home mum.

Hey everyone!

As I previously mentioned my 4 year old daughter starts school in less than 4 weeks (part time kindergarten here in Western Australia) Full time Pre-primary starts next year.

As shes an only child (at this stage) this will mean I have to re-enter the world of adults.
<cue dramatic music!>

{To childless peeps this sounds all very strange I'm assuming, I will try and explain}

• I can no longer live in jeans and a t-shirt that don't flatter, using the excuse of comfort and practicality.
• I can no longer spend endless days hanging out at home with limited outside world contact (without a child involved it just seems lazy!)
• I will actually have to wear all the super high heels I own and have told my husband that I WILL wear them when little madam isn't with me.
• I cant duck to the shops with unwashed hair and no makeup hoping people will just assume that I'm an overtired mummy (always helps when little madam has a tantrum while we are there, adds to the illusion)

The truth is that I could have started my transition back to the real world years ago as the demands (especially physical) have decreased exponentially as she has gotten older and more interdependent. So why didn't I change?

Honestly....I was scared.

As much as I hate the term "just a mum" the stereotype gave me comfort.
If people found me boring at a backyard BBQ and ended conversation abruptly it was their problem not mine as it was because I was "just a mum"
If I looked for part time work and was rejected it was because the employer saw me as "just a mum" not because I have no concrete qualifications.

Maybe it had nothing to do with being "just a mum"... Maybe it was just me!

I have, for the most part, LOVED being "just a mum" and staying home to raise my daughter. I have watched her grow and not missed a single milestone. I'm very fortunate to have been able to do this as I know many other mums (parents) can't stay home full-time for a million different reasons. (and this isn't about judging that one way or the other)

But I'm a bit jealous. Do mums who return to work earlier have this feeling of being completely lost when school time comes around? Do they flounder at the idea of 2.5 days a week alone?

I would love to hear from everyone.
Childless peeps- How do you feel about "just a mum" people?
Mums who returned to work early- Do you still feel lost as your child/children start school, Like a loss of identity?
"Just" mum's- Am I alone in feeling this way?


much love
Cie

My first thoughts on finding out about PCOS.

Hello all


As I had a day off yesterday (Sunday is the day of rest after all!) I'm going to try for a twofer today. One serious and one slightly fluffy. Lets crack on with the serious.

I was officially diagnosed with PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) early this year, but I have known that something wasn't quite right for a while now. It was just now given a name buy a professional.
As any Gen Y'er would do after getting a diagnosis I came home and promptly jumped onto Google....Big mistake!

"Uterine cancer, infertility, hysterectomy, acne, facial hair, heart disease, insulin resistance, weight gain, sleep apnea, burst cysts, mood swings, hirsutism, androgen's, balding, acne, dandruff, heart disease, diabetes, depression, menstrual issues!" 

All the things a 26 woman trying to have a second baby wants to hear! NOT!


It scared the crap out of me and I spent the next week crying myself to sleep, never allowing anyone including my husband to see how much it effected me.

I was broken...defective... and as far as having a second child was concerned, barren!!


Looking back all the tell tale signs were there. 
I hadn't lost any of my pregnancy weight and had actually gained some on top of it!
I didn't get my period regularly, only once every 3-6 months or so. 
My hair and skin had changed.
Although I was making great headway in dealing with my depression i still had big mood swings for no reason.
I had a couple of strange little black chin hairs that I plucked regularly.(OK more than a couple but not heaps, or is that denial?) 
I was ALWAYS tired (I put that down to being a mum!)
It wasn't just the weight gain but my entire body shape had changed.
and the big one.... I couldn't get pregnant when we wanted me to!


Once I got over my sooky-la-la week I started talking about it, mentioning PCOS on many of the random Facebook pages I'm a part of and I realised that
a) So many more woman had it that I had realised! And so many were surprised to find someone else who knew what PCOS stood for.
b) There were many other woman who were in a much worse situation that I was. Many hadn't had any children even with medical assistance despite trying for years. Some women have to shave their face, neck, arms daily..makes my weekly plucking seem trivial. Some women had had cysts burst and had to have one or both ovaries removed. Made me feel like a douche-bag for getting so upset about my low level symptoms!
c) There are ways to combat the symptoms naturally. The big one is losing weight (bit of a double edged sword this one, Help PCOS by losing weight but PCOS makes it REALLY hard to lose the KG's)
Also that removing as much sugar from your diet will help with weight loss and the insulin resistance. I'm attempting to quit sugar (or at least keep it under 24g total per day) If you want more info on quitting sugar have a look at Sarah Wilson's eBook "I quit sugar" HERE. Also Melissa from "Suger Coat It" is quitting sugar as well see HERE. :)


I would love to hear your thoughts and experiences on PCOS.


Much love
Cie